Through all the Masonic degrees the
pretense is kept up that masonry has always been one and the same;
and that its degrees are ancient, and all its principles and
usages of great antiquity. Let any one examine the books in which
it is revealed, and he cannot help being struck with this.
Furthermore, in the orations, sermons, and puffs that are so
common with Masons on all occasions on which they show themselves
off, they flaunt their very ancient date, their very ancient
principles and usages; and they pledge their candidates, from one
degree to another, to conform to all the ancient rites,
principles, and usages of the order.

But what shall we at the present day say of
these pretensions? I have before me the Masonic Monthly for
October, 1867, printed in Boston. It will not be denied, I
suppose, that this is one of their standard authorities. At any
rate, whatever may be said of the editor of this paper, it will
not be denied that the authorities quoted in the discussions in
this number are high, if not the very highest, authorities in the
Masonic fraternity. If I had space to quote nearly this entire
number, I should be very happy to do so; for it is occupied almost
entirely, from beginning to end, with exposing these pretensions
to which I have alluded. It appeals to their own standard
authorities; and insists that Speculative Freemasonry, in all its
higher degrees, is an imposture and a swindle. It quotes their
great historian--Steinbrenner, of New York--to show that
Speculative Freemasonry was first established in London, in 1717;
and that at that time Masonry consisted, probably, of but one
degree. That about 1725 a Mr. Anderson added two degrees; and, as
the writer in this number states, began the Christianizing of
Freemasonry. There is at this day a great division among
Freemasons themselves, the point of disagreement being this: One
party maintains that the Christian religion is of no more
authority with Masons than any other form of religion; that
Masonry proper does not recognize the Bible as of any higher
authority than the sacred books of heathen nations, or than the
Koran of Mohammed; that Freemasonry proper recognizes all
religions as equally valid, and that so far as Masonry is
concerned it matters not at all what the religion of its adherents
is, provided they be not Atheists. The other party maintains that
Masonry is founded upon the Bible, and that it is substantially a
Christian institution.

This controversy is assuming extensive
proportions, and it is very interesting for outsiders to look into
it. I say outsiders--and I might say it is important, and would be
very creditable, for the members of the fraternity to understand
this matter better than they do; for I doubt if one in twenty of
them is posted in regard to the real state of this question among
the fraternity themselves. Mr. Evans, who is the editor of this
Masonic Monthly, takes the ground, and I think sustains it fully
from their own authorities, that all the upper degrees of Masonry
are an imposture.

He goes on to show where and by whom , in
several important cases, these upper degrees were manufactured and
palmed off on the brotherhood as ancient Freemasonry.

For example, he shows that Mr. Oliver, one
of their most prolific authors, asserts that one of the grand
lodges in London gave charters, about the middle of eighteenth
century, to the Masonic lodges in France; and that in France they
immediately betook themselves to manufacturing degrees and palming
them off on the public as of very ancient origin. They proceeded
to manufacture a thousand of these degrees in France. Many of them
they asserted they had received from Scotland; but the Grand Lodge
of Scotland denied ever having known of those degrees.

It is also asserted in this number that the
Royal Arch Degree was at first but an appendage to a Master's
lodge, and had no separate charter, and for a long time was not
recognized at all as any part of Freemasonry. And it informs us
when and by whom the Royal Arch Degree was manufactured. This
number also shows that many of the Masonic degrees have originated
in Charleston, S. C.; and that a man by the name of Webb, in
Mass., manufactured the Templars' degrees. In short, we find here
their own standard authorities showing up all the higher degrees
of Masonry as having been gotten up and palmed off on the
fraternity in order to make money out of them; and is not this a
swindle? I wish to call the attention especially of the fraternity
to these statements in this number of the Masonic
Monthly.

Indeed, it is now common for the highest
and best-informed Masons to ridicule the pretense that Speculative
Freemasonry is an ancient institution, as a humbug and a life,
having no foundation in correct history at all. Now, will
Freemasons examine this subject for themselves?--for they have
been imposed upon.

I am particularly anxious to have professed
Christians who are Freemasons thoroughly understand this matter.
They have regarded Freemasonry as entirely consistent with the
Christian religion, and have professed to see in it nothing with
which a Christian cannot have fellowship. In the Third or Master's
Degree we find the story of Solomon and Hiram Abiff introduced
into Masonry.

Now this number of the Monthly charges that
this class of Freemasons went on to construct all the subsequent
degrees of Freemasonry from the Bible, by ransacking the whole Old
and New Testaments for striking passages from which they could
construct new degrees, thus leaving the impression that Masonry
was a divine institution and founded upon the Bible.

If professed Christians who are Freemasons
will really examine this subject, they will see that a Masonic
lodge is no place for a Christian.

But suppose it should be asked, May we not
innocently take those degrees that are founded upon the Bible, and
that recognize the Christian religion as of Divine authority? I
answer, Christians cannot be hypocrites. Let it be distinctly
understood that all these higher degrees are shown to be an
imposture; and that this Christianizing of Freemasonry has
consisted in heaping up a vast mass of falsehood, and of palming
it off upon the fraternity as truth and as ancient
Freemasonry.

Can Masonic orators be honest in still
claiming for Speculative Masonry great antiquity, Divine
authority, and that it is a saving institution? Masons are
themselves now showing that the whole fabric of Speculative
Freemasonry is an enormous falsehood. Stone Masonry, doubtless,
had its simple degree, and its pass-words and signs by which they
knew each other. It also had its obligations. But upon that little
stem have been engrafted a great number of spurious and
hypocritical degrees.

This does seem to be undeniable. Now will
Freemasons be frank enough to acknowledge this, and to say frankly
that they have been imposed upon? Will they come out from all
fellowship with such an imposture and such a swindle?

It has then come at last to this, that the
highest authority among Freemasons has taken the ground that the
Freemasonry which has been so eulogized throughout the length and
breadth of the land, and which has drawn in so many professed
Christians and ministers, is nothing less than an enormous cheat.
That those behind the curtain, who have manufactured and sold
these degrees,---those Grand Chapters, and Encampments, and
Commanderies, and all those pompous assemblies--have been engaged
in enticing the brotherhood who had taken the lower degrees to
come up into their ranks and pay their money, that they may line
their pockets. Now remember that these positions are fully
sustained by Masons themselves, as their views are set forth in
this number of the Masonic Monthly.

I do most earnestly entreat Freemasons to
inform themselves on this subject; and not turn around and tell us
that they, being Freemasons, know more about it than we do
ourselves. The fact is, my friends, many of you do not. You do not
read. I have myself recently conversed with a Freemason who
admitted to me that he was entirely ignorant of what was being
said in Masonic periodicals on this subject. I do not believe that
one in twenty of the Masonic fraternity in this country is aware
of the intense hypocrisy with which all the higher degrees of
Masonry have been palmed off upon them and upon the whole
fraternity. Can men of honor and of principle allow their names
and influence to be used to sustain such an enormous mass of false
pretension?

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